ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Seventh graders at Ron Clark Academy became an overnight sensation during the presidential election when their YouTube performance of `` You Can Vote However You Like '' catapulted them to online stardom .

`` The higher the expectations , the higher the results , '' says Ron Clark , seen here with his students .

Now , their creative and scholastic talents have proved the students to be more than just `` one hit wonders . ''

Academy students showcased their poetry and writings for CNN 's documentary `` Black in America 2 , '' hosted by Soledad O'Brien .

Cultivating student creativity is just one of the goals of academy founder Ron Clark , an enigmatic educator known for his unconventional teaching methods .

Under his strict tutelage , students at Ron Clark -- who are predominantly African-American -- are expected to excel in all subjects and maintain a high standard of respect for their peers and teachers .

`` I 'm teaching an eighth-grade curriculum to fifth-graders , '' says Clark . `` Some people say my expectations of the kids , academically , is too high , but the higher the expectations , the higher the results . ''

But with high academic expectations come an equally high quotient for fun .

It 's become one of Clark 's trademarks : singing and dancing to popular rap and R&B songs during class to get the kids engaged .

`` My first day at Ron Clark Academy , I thought all the teachers were psychopaths , '' says seventh-grader Jai Springs .

`` I thought Ron Clark was going crazy . He was up in front of the kids on desks , he was dancing . ... I never saw a teacher get up on a desk and dance . But now I 'm used to it , so I get up on the desk and dance too , '' says Jai .

Clark , formerly a schoolteacher from South Carolina , founded the academy with money he earned from his book titled The Essential 55 , which detail Clark 's 55 golden rules for success -- in and out of the classroom .

Clark was invited to be a guest on the Oprah Winfrey show after winning Disney Teacher of the Year Award in 2001 . Oprah believed so much in the well-mannered Southern school teacher from South Carolina that she encouraged him to write the book . Later she promoted The Essential 55 on her show , prompting it 's ascension to New York Times bestseller list .

Together with co-founder Kim Bearden , Clark transformed a decaying factory in a rough part of Atlanta , Georgia , into a state-of-the-art educational model for middle schools across the country .

Soon after the school opened its doors in 2008 , a Christmas package from Winfrey arrived for Clark in the form of a $ 365,000 grant , or `` a thousand dollars for each day of the year , '' as Oprah referred to it in the letter .

Then came the elections , with a tight presidential race between Sens. Barack Obama of Illinois and John McCain of Arizona .

Inspired by rapper T.I. 's hit song `` Whatever You Like , '' Clark 's seventh grade class penned their own lyrics and dance moves . The students ' performance carried a message : Cast your ballot because you support a candidate 's policies rather than just his skin color .

When they perform the song , half the seventh grade class touts the virtues of GOP 's McCain while the other half root for Democrat Obama : `` Obama on the left . McCain on the right . We can talk politics all night . And you can vote however you like . ''

The students `` can talk politics with the best of them , '' says Clark . Video clips of the kids performing have garnered over 15 million hits on YouTube .

`` We got lots of media attention . But when the media arrived to the school they realized the song is not the story , it 's the kids , '' says Clark .

One of Clark 's credos is teaching a `` global curriculum '' with a heavy emphasis on current events . Himself an avid world traveler , Clark believes it 's essential for his students to travel to other countries to develop an understanding and appreciation of the world in which they live .

Through Delta 's corporate sponsorship of the school , administrators have been able to send all 100 of their fifth to eighth grade students abroad before they graduate .

`` I 'm not nearly as shy as I used to be , '' says seventh-grader Chi Chi Kasarachi after her first year at the academy .

`` My knowledge of the world has improved , I know more about what 's going on in other countries and I 'm more curious about things . ... I 'm just hungry for knowledge , '' says Chi Chi .

In fact , the students at Ron Clark Academy are better versed in current events and politics than many adults .

`` I never thought I 'd be interested in watching the news , '' says seventh-grader Osei Avril . `` Now I find it interesting because I have learned the stories behind the news , '' he says .

Osei -- who pronounces Iranian President Ahmadinajad 's name perfectly -- says he 's interested in learning about world issues such as the Iranian elections , the Taliban in Pakistan , and the Palestinian - Israeli conflict .

`` At the beginning , '' says Clark , `` the kids will say something like ` I 've been to East Point -LSB- a suburb of South Atlanta -RSB- . After a few years they 've been to Kenya , Japan , or South Africa , or England . ... They 've become very comfortable with understanding the country and understanding themselves . ''

But it 's not just the travel or even the singing and dancing to rap music that make the school so special , say the students . It 's the academy teachers ' creative ways of instilling education , solid values , and a passion for learning .

`` They want you to pass the people at the top , '' says Jai . `` To be at the top nonstop , be at your fullest , to be creative , to think out of the box . ''

But school is n't all fun and games , she says . Clark is a strict disciplinarian that expects -- and enforces -- model behavior from all of the students .

`` I love Mr. Clark with all my heart , he 's like a father to me , '' says Chi Chi . `` He might fuss a lot , but I know he 's doing it for our own good . ''

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Ron Clark Academy students ' '08 YouTube rap performance got millions of hits

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Clark teaches `` global curriculum '' with heavy emphasis on current events

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`` I 'm teaching an eigthth-grade curriculum to fifth graders , '' says Clark

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Student : `` My knowledge of the world has improved . ... I 'm hungry for knowledge ''